The 200-year-old vault is not his final resting place and he will be buried in the King George VI memorial chapel on Thursday next to his wife.
Britain's longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth, passed away on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96 over a year after her husband, Prince Philip died at the age of 99 on April 19, 2021. The two had been married for 73 years, reports ABC News. Though they were apart for 17 months after Philip's death, it looks like the royal couple will be reunited again in death.
According to Insider, the coffin of the Duke of Edinburgh was placed on a marble slab in a section of the chapel known as the Quire, where it was lowered into the vault and was televised in a historic first. The Royal Vault beneath the chapel houses the remains of King George III, who died in 1820, King George IV, and King William IV.
Philip is the 25th member of the royal family to be interred in the Royal Vault beneath St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The 200-year-old vault is not his final resting place and he will be buried in the King George VI memorial chapel on Thursday next to his wife. The late Queen will not be interred in the vault and will be directly buried in the same place.
The Royal Vault was created between 1804 and 1810 for George III, who died in 1820. As per protocol, the coffin of the one who passed away first would be temporarily stored in the vault, according to Heart UK. The vault, which is not publicized, is supposed to be a stone chamber where the coffins of Royal Family members are kept until the proper location for the burial is found. King George VI spent 17 years in the vault before the coffin was moved to a tailor-made chapel. Similarly, Prince Philip's mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg was moved to Jerusalem in 1988 after being in the vault for 19 years.
After Prince Philip's death, Prince Andrew told reporters at the time that his mother was feeling a "huge void in her life". "The Queen as you would expect is an incredibly stoic person and she described his passing as a miracle and she is contemplating, I think that's the way I would put it. She described it as having left a huge void in her life, but we, the family, the ones that are closer, are rallying around to make sure that we're there to support her."
King Charles III addressed the United Kingdom on the first full day of his reign in a nearly 9-minute long speech. The 73-year-old British monarch ascended the throne after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. "I speak to you today with feelings of profound sorrow. Throughout her life, Her Majesty The Queen – my beloved Mother – was an inspiration and example to me and to all my family, and we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family can owe to their mother; for her love, affection, guidance, understanding, and example," he said. "Queen Elizabeth was a life well lived; a promise with destiny kept and she is mourned most deeply in her passing. That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today."
Cover Image: Getty Images/ Photo by Alastair Grant - WPA Pool
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